Acta Politica Polonica

The article analyzes the Mavi Vatan (“Blue Homeland”) doctrine as a central pillar of Turkey’s contemporary geopolitical strategy, implemented amidst the state’s growing assertiveness under the leadership of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The primary objective of the paper is a comprehensive examination of the concept’s genesis, its ideological foundations, and the methods of implementing its principles within Ankara’s maritime, military, and diplomatic policies. In the course of the discussion, the study attempts to address questions regarding the historical and international legal factors shaping the doctrine, as well as the extent to which it redefines Turkey’s relations with its NATO allies and neighboring states, particularly Greece and Cyprus. The thesis posits that Mavi Vatan serves as a key, multidimensional instrument of geopolitical expansion, enabling the gradual transformation of the Mediterranean, Aegean, and Black Sea basins into a space for the sustained projection of military power, leading to a significant paradigm shift in the regional security architecture. The verification of these assumptions is based on an analysis of the institutionalization of claims (including the 2019 memorandum with Libya), the correlation between naval modernization (the MİLGEM program, TCG Anadolu) and assertive actions, and the escalation of coercive diplomacy. Utilizing the neorealist paradigm and qualitative source analysis, the study highlights Turkey’s transformation into an assertive middle power striving for full strategic autonomy in the 21st century.